Whole 30 Crock Pot Carnitas

While I often make recipes that are so good I feel like I could eat it every week and not get tired of it, this recipe is one that I actually did put on my menu for two weeks in a row. Last week it was served on nachos (coming to the blog soon!) and this week we served it up in a bowl with loads of veggies and all the guac. Once Whole 30 is done I'm sure we'll enjoy it in some tacos.

I won't lie though. Andy set up the crock pot and then we were both out all day and I had a fear my house was going to burn down. While this is something that has always made me anxious, the latest This is Us episode didn't help to ease my fears - anyone else? I think I'll keep my crock pot cooking to Sunday's when I tend to be home more often than not.

These carnitas are so incredibly easy to make though. I hate crock pot recipes that require a ton of work up front but this recipe has none of that. If I'm throwing the food in the crock pot before starting my day, I don't also want to be searing meats and dumping can after can of food into the crock pot. This recipe does require a little bit of work at the end but it takes 3 minutes tops and only makes the flavor that much better.

Whole 30 Crock Pot Carnitas

Servings

8 bowls

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

8 hours

Ingredients

2.5lb pork loin or tenderloin

1 c. orange juice

3 limes

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeño, diced

2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbs. oregano

1 tsp. salt

Drizzle olive oil onto the pork and rub the cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste into the skin. Place into the bottom of your crock pot.

Add the orange juice, juice of 2 limes, onion, jalapeño and salt to the crock pot.

Place your crock pot on low for 6 - 8 hours.

When your pork is cooked through and easily pulls apart, shred the entire piece of meat.

Turn the broiler in your oven on. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lay your pork in a single layer on the sheet.

Place the tray in the oven for 10 minutes or until the pork is crispy.

Remove the pork and squeeze the remaining lime juice over the seared meat. Serve with tacos, burrito bowls or nachos.